Nina – Jazz Activist (19-29 Jul)

Backed by a brilliant band, Josette Bushell-Mingo mixes story and song as she draws together tales from the life of Nina Simone, her own extraordinary career and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Legendary performer Nina Simone sang a mix of jazz, blues and folk music in the 1950s and ’60s, later enjoying a career resurgence in the ’80s. A staunch Civil Rights activist, she was known for tunes like “Mississippi Goddam,” “Young, Gifted and Black” and “Four Women,” among many others.

In the ‘60s, Simone expanded her repertory in exemplary fashion while becoming identified as a leading voice of the Civil Rights Movement. She later lived abroad njoying a big career resurgence in the 1980s.

Josette appeared as Solveig in the Royal Exchange, Manchester production of Peer Gynt and she returned to Manchester in 2005 to play Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra. Both productions were directed by Braham Murray. She was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award in 2000 for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Rafiki in the London production of The Lion King.

In 2001, she founded a black-led arts festival called PUSH at the Young Vic.

Having been living in Sweden for many years, she is currently the artistic director for The Swedish National Touring Theatre Tyst teater ensemble.[4] Her production of The Odyssey, performed in Swedish Sign Language received huge critical acclaim in Scandinavia.

Where: Young Vic,
When: 19-29 July 2017
For further details and ticket information click here.